Outer packaging of chicken 'covered in bacteria' study finds

Picking up a packet of chicken in a supermarket is more likely to give you
food poisoning than handling a raw bird, a pioneering survey has found.

Food standards officials discovered that 40 per cent of packets of chicken in a range of supermarkets, convenience stores and butchers were covered with bacteria on the outside.

Of 20 packets of chicken studied, eight had food poisoning bacteria on their wrapping while seven chickens were contaminated inside the packet. One tested positive for salmonella.

Shoppers are now being warned to wash their hands after handling chicken cartons to combat the risk of catching the campylobacter bug which can induce vomiting, diarrhoea and abdominal pain.

Birmingham Food Safety officials found that there was no link between the chickens infected inside and outside the packaging. Both types of bacteria are dealt with by thorough cooking and hand washing.

The council's food safety team is believed to be the first to test packaging and it has reported its findings to the Government's Food Standards Agency (FSA) and major retail chains.

An FSA spokesman said: “Tackling the high levels of campylobacter on UK chicken is the Food Standards Agency’s number one priority.

“We are currently working with the food industry to minimise the spread of this bug at all stages of the food chain, from improved hygiene in farms to better leakproof packaging in the shops.

“These findings reinforce our advice to avoid cross-contamination when handling and storing raw chicken even if it is still in its packaging.”

During the last three years there has been a steady rate of just over 900 reported cases of campylobacter poisoning a year in Birmingham.

Nick Lowe, manager of the council’s food safety team, said: "Our message to consumers is that handling the packaging should be regarded as just as likely to cause food poisoning and touching the raw meat."

He said that the contamination is believed to take place during the manufacturing and shipping.

But there are fears that once handled in a supermarket, the bacteria can be passed on through trolley handles, shopping bags and transferred to other foods.

In one supermarket, a pool of juice collected on the chiller shelf was also contaminated.

Andrew Opie, food director at the British Retail Consortium, said: “Chicken is perfectly safe if the common sense rules that apply to all raw meat are followed.

"People should wash their hands after touching it and make sure it’s properly cooked.

“Campylobacter is a complex organism and retailers are already working with poultry producers and the Government to find ways to reduce the levels sometimes found on poultry products."

The survey was welcomed by the council's public protection committee. Coin Ray Hassall (Lib Dem, Perry Barr) said: "It's incredible you can pick up the packaging without knowing what's on it.